Exclusive interview with Tommaso Paradiso, leader and singer of Thegiornalisti

Whenever I think of Italy, I think of sun-kissed days by the Mediterranean ocean – aperitivo in hand, watching the beautiful people go by through the lens of my Ray-Bans, golden tans, late dinners, dancing to Italian music whilst the sea breeze tousles my hair.

Thegiornalisti, currently the number one band in Italy, has encapsulated the summer
vibe in their song Riccione. This
song conquered the Italian airwaves over the months of July and August and was
the number one played song catapulting it to the coveted top spot on the iTunes
charts.

Riccione is about a summer spent in the town of the same name in the Province of
Rimini and conjures up images of being free with not a worry in the world. Thegiornalisti have given birth to the
new pop wave in Italy inspired by vintage soul. People love this style so much
that their Album Completamente Sold Out that
was released on the 21 October 2016 has reached Gold status.

The band was formed in 2009 and includes
Tommaso Paradiso on lead vocals, Marco Primavera and Marco Antonio Musella.
Segmento exclusively interviewed Tommaso Paradiso in September:

Why
do you think Riccione was so successful?

Riccione
was a surprise to everyone: this song came
about as a joke between two songwriter friends with whom we collaborate. It
started with one note and with only the word “Riccione” which then became the
song everyone was singing this summer. With the beautiful energy of this song
and a mix of contemporary and vintage sounds we conquered the hearts and ears
of many people.

Was
it difficult to achieve success in Italy?

I started playing with my band in 2009 in
many small venues. From these humble beginnings we achieved “success” from the
hard work of many years, together with people that believed in us; the general
population and industry professionals alike.

How
did you start your musical career?

All of the band members and I were playing in
different bands in the independent Roman music scene. It wasn’t until 2009 that
we chose to play together because of the strong bond between us.

What
emotions and experiences inspire you to write a song?

We chos to call ourselves “Thegiornalisti”
because we believe that our responsibility as artists is to be storytellers via
the power of words, to recount things that happen in our day-to-day lives; the
exact same thing that journalists do. Therefore, it’s reality that inspires me
– in all its different facets both positive and negative.

When
you write a song do you first think of the music or the lyrcis?

That depends, sometimes I start with the
lyrics, from a word that resounds in my mind or an experience. I often start at
the piano, that way the lyrics and melody come at the same time. Recently, I
have also written from a beat, from an already produced base rhythm in which I
insert the melody and lyrics.

In
your songs I hear a real vintage sound. Which artists inspire you from the
past? I can hear a bit of Oasis who were also inspired by the music of the
60’s.

You have mentioned one of the bands I love
the most! Apart from them, my idols are Lucio Dalla, Luca Carboni (for whom I
wrote the song Luca Lo Stesso), the
King of Rome, Antonello Venditti, and the legend that is Vasco Rossi.

I
have read that you are all from Rome. It’s my favourite city in the whole
world. Why do you love Rome?

Rome has magic in the air that you can’t
explain. It lives in its own world: an eternal city with the positive feeling
of immortality.

How
important is the ‘look’ of an artist? I can see that you all have a very unique
look that is quite fashionable.

Recently, I have been defined as an “icon of
style”. I am pleased that a lot of people are inspired and feel they can look
up to me and emulate my style. However, I am always inspired by people around
me, for example my long beard is a bit of an homage to Vikings, a series I follow and love!

Have
you toured outside of Italy and would you like to come to Australia?

We haven’t yet played overseas. Australia is
a magical country and completely different from the Italian and European
scenery: it would be a place of great inspiration.

If
you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?

I believe that in this life I couldn’t do anything
other than what I am doing.

Both Riccione
and the Gold album Completamente Sold
Out are available on iTunes worldwide.

Special thanks goes to Nicola Cani
(Management), Federica Moretti (Carosello Records) and of course Tommaso
Paradiso for this interview!

Bernadette Novembre is a 33 year old writer and singer from Melbourne. She studied a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University majoring in English Literature and History. She has a passion for music, especially Italian music. Her favourite artists include Domenico Modugno, Mina and Max Gazze'. Her other passion is travel and says that Rome is her most favourite place in the world.